What I'm Thankful For

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. —William Arthur Ward

The good thing about holidays is that they give us an opportunity to reflect (if we’re not too busy preparing for them) and to cultivate good old virtues, like generosity and gratitude. Holidays encourage us to express things, like love and appreciation, that we don’t get around to in the normal course of daily life.

Thanksgiving, of course, is a time for gratitude.

So this holiday gives me a great opportunity to tell you that I’m really grateful for the many people who support and value the work we do here at MiddlesexMD. This work wouldn’t be possible without all you supportive people.

Six years ago I refocused my clinical practice to serve the sexual health needs of women in midlife because I discovered that so many of us were struggling with the physical and sexual changes brought on by menopause. Women, I learned, needed advice and guidance but didn’t know where to look for it.

Now, MiddlesexMD has its own website, newsletter, and blog. We have an online boutique with an array of tasteful, helpful, and woman-tested products to help keep the sexual flame alight. In fact, we’ve become one of the go-to resources nationally for information about sex at midlife.

That’s pretty impressive, if you ask me.

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. —Albert Einstein

As I see it, MiddlesexMD is sort of a miracle. The amazing thing is that so many people are involved, interested, and in so doing, have contributed to its success. We have a small army of people who spread the word about what we’re doing, and give us support, encouragement, help, and advice along the way.

We turn to members of our MiddlesexMD advisory board frequently on this blog. We have a fabulous board whose members represent some of the leaders in the field of female sexual health. Despite their own busy practices, they’re always willing to share their expertise with MiddlesexMD readers. So—members of our great MiddlesexMD advisory board—thank you!

We also have a creative and hardworking internal team that plans, organizes, and runs all the disparate parts of this venture and helps to keep me sane and focused. I’m incredibly grateful to the amazing team that operates behind the scenes. MiddlesexMD wouldn’t be here without you.

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. —William Arthur Ward

Finally, no foray into social media is successful unless people spread the word. MiddlesexMD is successful because other practitioners tell their patients about our site and because readers “like,” tweet, "share," and tell their friends about us.

To all of you who spread the word—thank you so much. And don’t stop!

Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic. —John Henry Jowett

Finally, let me leave you with a little Thanksgiving Day doctor-ish prescription. (You knew this was coming.)

Studies repeatedly link gratitude with higher levels of satisfaction with life. Grateful people are happy people. They pay attention to the positive stuff. They focus on the good and deal with the bad, sad, or difficult when it comes along. This isn’t denial or wishful thinking. It’s a choice that gradually becomes a habit.

So, along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, I’m prescribing a dose of gratitude every day before breakfast. It’s cheaper than pharmaceuticals, and who knows, it might even make sex better, too.

What are you grateful for right now? Who makes your life joyful? Have you told that person how you feel?